Adjustable weight workout stone

ABSTRACT

A fabricated workout stone to provide an easily assembled and transportable equivalent of a solid cast concrete spherical stone. The fabricated steel stone includes a two-part shell body with a weight receiving rod extending inside from one shell part. A threaded opening in the free end of the rod receives a retaining bolt extending through the opposite shell securing the spherical shells together. Multiple weight lifting bar weights of varied sizes and mass are slidably secured on the rod to vary the total weight of the fabricated stone when assembled for use.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/128,773, filed Mar. 5, 2015.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to weight lifting training and competition devices, more specifically a large cast spherical stone which are used having different diameters and weights.

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art devices of this type are not known, examples of related art can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,491,157 directed to a weight adjustable dumbbell. A dumbbell is disclosed having a contoured housing with an integrated handle extending therefrom. An annular flat base having a pair of upstanding support posts onto which are stacked a plurality of aperture weighted disks. A pin extends through the housing and a central engagement rod securing the housing to the base and the weights on the post.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A split hollow metal sphere assembly having a central weight support and stabilization rod onto which multiple standard weight lifting weights can be positioned and retained. An alignment band is welded about the edge of one-half defining an alignment and registration lip between the respective split spheres. Multiple sphere reinforcement ribs are welded on the interior of the respective split spheres. The weight support rod extends centrally from a base sphere with a threaded end recess for receiving a retainment bolt through the remaining sphere half securing same together. Multiple weight restraint spacers are received on the rod to position and hold the weights centrally within the assembled spheres.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the fabricated workout stone of the invention with removable weights shown in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is an exploded side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view on lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view on lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an exploded side sectional and elevational view of an alternate fabricated workout stone with retainment spacer rings.

FIG. 6 is an assembled sectional view thereof without weights or retaining rings.

FIG. 7 is a sectional plan view on lines 7-7 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a sectional plan view on lines 8-8 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side elevational view of a lifting handle for assembled spheres.

FIG. 10 is an end elevational view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, an adjustable weight training and competition stone 10 of the invention can be seen having a pair of hollow half hemisphere shells 11 and 12. Each of the sphere shells in this example is preferably made of metal of a known thickness so as to be self-supporting and shape retaining when joined together during use as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

The half sphere shell 11 is defined as a “base shell” having an annular band 13 secured by welding along its interior perimeter edge 14. The band 13 extends beyond a top edge 15 of the base shell 11 forming a continuous registration lip thereabout for receiving the shell half 12 thereon during assembly.

A weight support and retainment rod extends centrally from the interior of the base shell 11 as best seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The rod 16 is welded in position and extends upwardly beyond the trans-planar plane defined by the top edge 18 of the base shell 11. The weight support and retainment rod 16 has a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertically aligned transverse apertures A extending there through in this example. The free end 16A of the rod 16 has a centered threaded bore 19 therein for threadably receiving a corresponding physical retainment keyed bolt 20 that extends through a recessed aperture fitting 21 in the upper spherical shell 12 in alignment with the rod 16 so when registerably engaged with the base shell 11 by the hereinbefore described upstanding registration lip as will be understood and explained in greater detail hereinafter.

As assembled by referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, one or more retaining rings 22 will be slidably engaged over the rod 16 and secured by a pin 23 extending through aligned apertures A′ one of which may be threaded and correspondingly so aligned transverse aperture A in the rod 16 as hereinbefore described. A plurality of apertured weights 24 of a traditional barbell type having a bar engagement center opening are then selectively fitted on the rod 16 depending on their size and weight in a stacked relationship until the goal weight for the fabricated stone is reached. A corresponding apertured locking ring 25 and pin assembly is then slidably positioned on the rod 16 to secure the multiple weights 24 so positioned. A compressible spacer ring 26 of resilient material may be required to be positioned between the last weight 24A and the retaining ring assembly 22 to assure that the weights 24 are secured against movement on the rod 16 during use.

The upper spherical shell 12 is then aligned on the base shell 11 via its registration lip and joined to the base shell 11 by the threaded keyed bolt 20 positioned through the bolt engagement fitting 21 within the upper spherical shell 12 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawings. The bolt engagement fitting 21 provides for a recess 21A therewithin to retain the bolt 20 as it is threadably received within the rod 16 as illustrated best in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

It will be seen that the bolt 20 can also be used to assist in lifting the sphere by selective engagement with a handle 27 illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings. The handle 27 has a threaded fitting extending from its base which can be threadably secured into a threaded fitting in the shell bolt opening so that just the shell can be engaged and lifted during assembly or disassembly of the alternate adjustable weight training and competition stone.

By the utilization of split lightweight shells with a center support post for placing and receiving a plurality of individual uniform weight lifting weights that a lightweight transportable weightlifting stone assembly can be achieved.

The handle 27 also has attached extending allen wrench fittings 27B extending in oppositely disposed relation from the hand engagement portion 27C of the handle 27.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, an alternate adjustable weight training and competition stone 30 can be seen having hollow shells 31 and 32. The base shell 31 has the same shell joining alignment band at 32A welded therein as seen in the primary form of the invention.

A solid centered weight support and retaining rod 33 extends from within the base shell rod fitting 34 with a shell attachment bolt receiving recessed threaded fitting 35 in its free end. A plurality of spacer rings 36 are registerable over the rod 33 sequentially to space and support as needed a number of apertured weights 37 positioned on the rod 33 as seen in FIG. 5 of the drawings to obtain the desired weight required for use.

The spacer rings 36 are of varied dimensional thicknesses to be mixed and matched as needed. An initial weight engagement end support resilient washers 38 are slidably positioned on the rod 33 between the spacer rings 36 and the fittings 34. The resilient washers 38 provide a compressive cushion on each of the respective end surfaces of the stacked aligned spacer rings 36 on the support rod 33.

By joining the respective shell spheres 31 and 32 by attaching a threaded bolt 39 to the end of the rod 33, the selected weights 37 are held immovable within the assembled spheres assuring a uniform weighted stone mass which is essentially in competition as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

It will be seen that corresponding number and by size (height) spacer rings 36 are selectively positioned on the rod 33 to conform with the space displaced by the weight 37. As noted, compressible resilient rubber washers 38 are then positioned at respective ends to assure a firm compressed connection.

The spacing and orientation of the weights 37 and spacer rings 36 and oppositely disposed resilient compressed washers 38 assures that the weight mass is centered on the rod 33 and therefore within the adjustable weight training and competition stone 30 when the shells 31 and 32 are fitted and retained together as hereinbefore described.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a plurality of sphere reinforcing ribs 40 are welded onto the interior surfaces 41 and 42 of the respective sphere halves 31 and 32 extending radially from the corresponding rod base engagement fittings 34.

Each of the ribs 40 have a base portion 40A and an end portion 40B. A contoured notch 41 is formed midway the combined rib's length defining the respective portions to provide weight clearance, if needed, adjacent rod end placement in certain weight selection application requirements.

Spacer rings 36 are of uniform annular dimension with a rod receiving opening centered therein at 36A. The respective dimensional widths vary, as noted, and in this example one-quarter to half inch to accommodate varied selection placement and variations.

It will therefore be seen that a new and useful weight training and competition stone 20 and 30 of the invention has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, I claim: 

1. A weight adjustable workout sphere comprising, a hollow sphere having a top shell half portion and a bottom shell half portion, a weight receiving rod secured inside the bottom shell portion and extending inside the top shell portion when joined together, a plurality of weight retainment spacer rings slidably positioned on the weight retainment rod, a plurality of weights having a rod hole there within stacked on said weight retainment rod between said retainment spacer rings, a pair of resilient spacers rings on said weight retaining rod between said respective retainment spacer rings and said weights, a threaded attachment bolt extending through an aligned opening in the upper shell half portion registerable threadably within the free end of said weight receiving rod securing the top shell half portion to said bottom shell half portion.
 2. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner sides of said top and bottom shell half portions have multiple reinforcing ribs extending radially thereon.
 3. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 1 wherein said top and bottom shell half portions have aligned apertured rod receiving fittings secured respectively there within.
 4. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 1 wherein bottom shell half portion respective free edge has a shell adjoining alignment band disposed around and extending beyond said free edge of said shell half portions defining a retainment lip.
 5. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 1 wherein said weight retainment spacer rings are of varied dimensional thickness.
 6. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 2 wherein said multiple radially attached reinforcing ribs further comprise, a contoured notched upper surface.
 7. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 3 wherein said threaded attachment bolt is keyed and extends through and retained by said top shell half portion rod receiving fitting.
 8. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 3 wherein said rod receiving fittings are secured within said respective top and bottom shell half portions by welding.
 9. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 1 wherein said weight receiving rod is secured within said bottom shell half portion by welding.
 10. The weight adjustable workout sphere set forth in claim 2 wherein said multiple reinforcing ribs are secured by welding. 